In a Tibetan mandala, east is on the bottom. Center, east, and west form the spine of the mandala, while north and south are its wings, reaching out to new communities and expanding in new directions.

Center: Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center (TNMC)

TNMC is the heart of the Nyingma mandala. It supports the development of the other organizations and acts as a vehicle for the Head Lama to direct the whole mandala’s efforts to preserve and share the Tibetan tradition.

East: Dharma Publishing and the Yeshe De Project

In the Tibetan view, the path to enlightenment begins in the East, just as each day begins with the rising sun on the eastern horizon. Yeshe De and Dharma Publishing make Buddhist teachings available to both Tibetans and to Westerners:

Yeshe De produces the Tibetan texts that are distributed to Tibetans in the Himalayas.

Dharma Publishing produces texts in English for sale in the United States, with all profits directed toward the production of more texts and art.

South: Tibetan Aid Project

The south is associated with the earth and the abundance of resources it produces, as well as with wealth and generosity. TAP connects generous donors in the United States and abroad to the Tibetan community in Asia. Donations to TAP directly fund the production and distribution of sacred texts and art.

West: Odiyan

The west is the realm of beauty and fulfillment, linking the magnificent beauty of a fiery sunset with the warm beauty of love and compassion. The temples and monuments of Odiyan, a retreat center and monastery in Northern California, express this beauty and fulfill Tarthang Tulku’s vision of creating a physical home for Tibetan teachings in the West.

North: Nyingma Institute

North is the direction of outward-flowing teaching and communication. The Nyingma Institute offers classes and other programs that make Tibetan teachings available to the Western community, in a form adapted for the culture of the West and for the challenges we face today. Income generated by the Nyingma Institute goes to support additional educational projects as well as text production and preservation.

Nyingma Centers International

The mandala structure is paralleled by the Nyingma Centers in Holland, Germany, São Paulo (Brazil), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).